diff --git a/connector/composeApp/src/desktopMain/kotlin/SimulatorStatus.kt b/connector/composeApp/src/desktopMain/kotlin/SimulatorStatus.kt
index f9bcc1e..b5a5a2a 100644
--- a/connector/composeApp/src/desktopMain/kotlin/SimulatorStatus.kt
+++ b/connector/composeApp/src/desktopMain/kotlin/SimulatorStatus.kt
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ class SimulatorStatus {
     /**
      *  Purely for testing
      */
-    private suspend fun loadSimulator(viewModel: InterfaceState) {
-        delay(1000)
-        viewModel.simConnection = !viewModel.simConnection
+    private fun loadSimulator(viewModel: InterfaceState) {
+        val xpc = XPC()
+        viewModel.simConnection = xpc.connected()
     }
 }
diff --git a/connector/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/XPC.kt b/connector/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/XPC.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..97e0d05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/connector/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/XPC.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import gov.nasa.xpc.XPlaneConnect
+import io.ktor.utils.io.errors.*
+import java.net.SocketException
+
+class XPC {
+
+    private lateinit var xpc: XPlaneConnect
+
+    /**
+     * Connects to the X-Plane and tests the connection
+     *
+     * @return `true` if connection successfully established, `false` otherwise
+     */
+    fun connected(): Boolean {
+        try {
+            xpc = XPlaneConnect()
+
+            // Ensure connection is established
+            xpc.getDREF("sim/test/test_float")
+            return true
+        } catch (ex: SocketException) {
+            return false
+        } catch (ex: IOException) {
+            return false
+        }
+    }
+}